Traveling in an RV: 5 Things No One Tells You

Many people dream of going travelling in an RV. You can choose your very own route, stop where you like and never have to pay for a hotel. While the freedom of travelling in an RV cannot be matched, it isn’t always as easy and carefree as people assume.

In fact, there can be a number of challenges that can be worth knowing about before you set off on a grand tour.

Here are just five things that no-one will tell you about travelling in an RV.

BEING ABLE TO PARK UP ANYWHERE ISN’T AS CONVENIENT AS IT SEEMS

Although you can choose to park up and sleep anywhere, nothing beats a pitch at a campsite. Firstly, this is because campsites have places to hook up if you need electricity and gas.

Secondly, you’re guaranteed more privacy and security.

Lastly, even if your RV has a toilet and shower, the ones at a campsite are sometimes a lot better and you don’t have to clean up after.

Parking up in car parks and lay-bys isn’t as fun as you’d think. It can get noisy, there can often be safety concerns and you’ll soon run through your leisure battery if you don’t hook up. Unless you’ve got a solar charger, which is a worthwhile investment.

There will be some nights where you stay in these remote places and enjoy them, but most of the time you’ll just wish you were parked in a campsite.

IT’S WORTH UPGRADING YOUR MATTRESS

On the whole, RV beds aren’t very comfortable. They can do for a couple of nights, but if you’re planning to travel for weeks, you’ll soon miss the comfort of a real bed.

Splashing out on the best RV mattress you can find could be worthwhile if you want to get a good night’s sleep. There are companies that are able to build custom mattresses catered to your camper van bed.

INVEST IN PARKING SENSORS

Parking in an RV – especially a large motor home – can be a challenge. If your vehicle doesn’t come with parking sensors, it could be worth paying to have them fitted.

This could make things a little easier to judge when manoeuvring tight spaces.

It ultimately will save you from a few knocks which can be inevitable if you haven’t got parking sensors.

THINGS WILL BREAK ALONG THE WAY

It’s highly likely that things will break along the way – especially if you’re planning a long adventure. If you’re lucky, these things that break won’t be too important.

A few things that can be annoying if they break include your refrigerator, your oven, your shower and your toilet.

As for the parts required for driving your vehicle, you definitely don’t want any of these to break. Servicing your RV beforehand could be worthwhile to ensure that there are no parts that are likely to break.

You may also want to get a professional to check the appliances to check that they’re all in working order before you set off.

YOU’LL HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE MESSILY

An RV can quickly get messy – especially if you’re sharing with multiple people. Most RVs don’t have a lot of space and can get easily cluttered.

You’ll also invariably bring mud and grass in. Keeping on top of cleanliness is important, but you don’t want to be spending too long cleaning, otherwise, you’ll never get anywhere.